From: munfai@ncb.gov.sg (Choo Mun Fai)
Subject: Wide-Angle Lenses (for Minolta mount)
Date: Tue, 7 Feb 1995 03:27:33 -0500

Here's Part IV on AF wide angle lenses.

>From Photo Asia magazine Dec 1994 issue (transcribed from Fotomagazin, 
Germany). Any mistake made in the entries below is mine.

Enjoy it.


Wide-Angle Lenses : 
*****************
Performance Profile (Optic / Mechanics)

Minolta AF Fisheye 16mm f2.8 :
---------------------------------------
Mount : Very good metallic mount with synthetic fitting. No play in focusing 
rings. Straight mechanism. Lenshood provided.
Definition : Excellent definition for a lens with 180 degree angle.
Vignetting : Marked brightness differences between image centre and image 
edge are inevitable. Not disturbing.
Distortion : Hugh barrel shape (sphere shaped barrel)
Performance Profile : 8.8 / 9.0

Minolta AF 20mm f2.8 :
----------------------------
Mount : Very good metallic mount. Lenshood provided.
Definition : At open aperture sharpness and brilliance are already very good 
in the centre, good sharpness on the edges. At f8, both readings are very 
good. If possible, don't stop down further (curve unsharpness).
Vignetting : Rather low, considering the large image area.
Distortion : Still light barrel shape.
Performance Profile : 9.0 / -

Minolta AF 35mm f1.4 :
----------------------------
Mount : Very good. No manual focusing. Built-in lenshood.
Definition : Sharpness and brilliance at full aperture ecellent for this 
kind of lens.
Vignetting : Low
Distortion : Light barrel shape.
Performance Profile : 8.2 / 9.0

Sigma AF 14mm f3.5 :
--------------------------
Mount : Very good metallic-synthetic mount. Fixed front lens. Practically no 
play in focusing rings. Lenshood provided.
Definition : At open aperture and at f8 sharpness and brilliance are 
excellent for a lens with 144 degrees wide angle.
Vignetting : A super wide angle has typically strong vignetting. It helps to 
stop down.
Distortion : Very light barrel shape.
Performance Profile : 8.8 / 9.2

Sigma AF 18mm f3.5 :
--------------------------
Mount : Very good metallic mount.
Definition : At open aperture and stopped down to f8, sharpness and 
brilliance are very good.
Vignetting : For a lens of this angle, very low.
Distortion : Very light barrel shape.
Performance Profile : 9.2 / -

Sigma AF 24mm f2.8 :
--------------------------
Mount : Very good metallic mount. Lenshood provided.
Definition : At open aperture and stopped down sharpness and brilliance are 
very good up to the corners.
Vignetting : Also at open aperture very low.
Distortion : Light barrel shape.
Performance Profile : 9.0 / 9.0

Sigma AF 28mm f1.8 :
--------------------------
Mount : Solid metallic mount with play-free focusing rings. Straight 
mechanism of front lens group, internal focusing, built-in lenshood.
Definition : Good sharpness and brilliance at open aperture. Outstanding 
when stopped down to f2.8.
Vignetting : Low. Light flare in image corners at open aperture. Flare 
disappears when stopped down.
Distortion : Practically zero.
Performance Profile : 9.2 / 9.0

Tokina AF AT-X 17mm f3.5 :
-----------------------------------
Mount : Good. Combined synthetic-metallic mount.
Definition : For a super wide angle sharpness and brilliance are very good. 
Also in the corners.
Vignetting :Low for a lens of this angle. 
Distortion : Very light barrel shape (not disturbing)
Performance Profile : 9.0 / 9.0





Choo Mun Fai                        e-mail : munfai@ncb.gov.sg
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